Dodig missed two set points at 5:2 and 15:40 in the first set, so Goffin got back to 5:5. But not even that had discouraged the 32-year-old from Međugorje. He persevered and it paid off in the form of new set points in the 12th game – he finally used the fourth one.
In the second set, there were three breaks in five games – two of which were to Dodig’s advantage. After reaching 3:3, he won the next three games and started celebrating.
"I am not surprised with Dodig’s game. It’s not a secret that he can play well. The injury that has kept me off the court since Roland Garros is not the reason why I lost today. My ankle is just fine, but I’m still not at the level I was before the injury", Goffin explained.
The night before, Dodig and Škugor played against the Draganja brothers until fifteen minutes past midnight but that didn’t seem to affect him at all.
"Luckily, the matches in Umag don’t start until the afternoon so I had plenty of time to rest and prepare for Goffin. By the way, that match against the Draganja brothers was excellent, a final before the final."
In his seventh appearance in Umag, Dodig now has more wins (3) than in all his previous six appearances here (2). Today, he will be playing in his eighth semifinal in his career, and first since Tokyo, back in 2013.
